The instant invention comprises a resilient flooring structure designed for installation over an existing non-resilient base floor.
Resilient flooring structures are well known in the industry. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,302,578; 1,195,289; 2,862,255; and 4,856,250 disclose examples of various prior art arrangements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,927 to Counihan shows yet another variation of a resilient flooring structure. The instant application is an improvement of the Counihan flooring structure and the disclosure of the referred to patent is incorporated herewith.
It has been found that a resilient flooring structure requires several structural features in order to provide a satisfactory product. A first requirement is stability of the sleeper members, i.e., the sleepers must be fixedly located relative to each other in order that the flooring presents a surface which reacts uniformly to loads. Another requirement is ease of installation. In order to be economically competitive, the installation must not be excessively time consuming. Another is continued uniform performance. The resilient action must remain constant and uniform over the life of the floor.
It is therefore a primary object of the instant invention to provide a resilient flooring structure which is capable of being installed quickly and uniformly.
Another object of the instant invention is a resilient flooring structure in which the resilient action is controlled within desired limits.
Another object of the invention is a resilient flooring structure in which the flooring is uniformly and evenly supported by the sleepers over the entire flooring area.